More than 150 nations are affiliated to the global chess body Fide, yet team supremacy on the board is currently being fought out by two small Caucasian republics. In the process the pair have humilated their big neighbour Russia, for long the undisputed No1.

When Armenia won the 2006 Olympiad, the success was reckoned a surprise one-off. Then its squad retained the crown in 2008, sparking street celebrations in Erevan and the presidential plane home for the winning team. On both occasions the top-seeded Russians failed, as they had behind Ukraine in 2004.

These results infuriated politicians and grandmasters in Azerbaijan, which has an ongoing acrimonious border dispute with Armenia. At last week's European team championship, the men from Baku came with a new manager, a highly rated team and ambitious zeal. Russia were again No1 seeds and at the start of the final round they led Azerbaijan by a point, with easier opponents. But they blew it yet again. Russia managed only 2-2 with Spain and the Azeris clinched the gold medals when a Dutch GM blundered in a drawn rook ending.

Both nations have chess traditions from Soviet times. Erevan boasts a statue of Tigran Petrosian, the Armenian world champion, while Garry Kasparov was raised in Baku by his Armenian mother.

The battle now moves to next year's world title candidate matches, as Azeris and Armenians haggle with Fide over venues, qualifiers and wild cards. The Azeris have three GMs in the world top 20, led by Vugar Gashimov, 23, their Euro team star whose subtle play below gives White first a strong pawn centre, then a winning attack.